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I debated long and hard about writing this post. I do throw around my opinion a lot on my blog, but there are certain topics I hesitate to come within any reasonable distance to. Writing tips and media analysis are, for the most part, fairly harmless and not something most people will take offense to. Then there are other topics. Topics like politics, like social issues, like economic issues, etc. Those are topics I don’t like to make any mention of. I have seen how much vitriol comes from talking about them, and it is just something I don’t like to be a part of within a public sphere.

However, the recent incidents with Patreon have made me want to speak up about something. Now, before you click off, I’m not going to talk about what I think of Patreon’s decision with their fees (for those who already know what’s going on). There are literally 100’s of posts already talking at length about this topic. I also don’t care where you chips fall on which side to take; that is your business, and I am not here to convince you that Patreon is a villain/not a villain.

What I do want to convince you of is the cold, unfortunate reality that most for-profit, multi-employee businesses do not care about the creators.

Generally, everyone has been in at least one of two of the following positions. In position number one, you’ve had to deny the request of someone whom you genuinely like, plaguing you with guilt and remorse because you hate saying “no” to them. In position number two, instead of dealing with the guilt of saying “no,” you said yes and now find yourself stuck doing something you completely hate and/or inconveniences you to a monumental amount. Neither position is desirable, so what is someone supposed to do?

Thus brings us to our topic today: saying “no” when it comes to businesses or projects. No one wants to be that person who says no. After all, no is the easiest word one can say that will cause some hurt feelings. Unfortunately, for businesses and projects, it’s somewhat unavoidable. Someone has to be in charge of saying it. If there isn’t, it’s very easy to find yourself in position number two, and whatever you’re working on could risk floundering.

While e-mailing your friends is easy enough, it’s often a whole other ballpark to e-mail a business or similar professional entity. Is this too formal? Will they care I didn’t capitalize this word? What else should I do? These are just some of the questions that may pop into your head as you try to conquer your nervousness. As someone who deals with a lot of professional e-mails in an indie setting, though, there are a lot of common mistakes that get made that I feel the average person doesn’t quite consider. That being the case, I wanted to impart my wisdom in these four quick tips that will help you compose a better e-mail.

This is a common saying that gets passed around, but I think too few people actually stop to think about what this concept means. Particularly for indie creators, whether they’re creating games, comics, or otherwise, there seems to be a general trust that goes towards third party businesses as far as making your content available. Unfortunately, the risk for betrayal is somewhat high and may catch the more naïve off-guard. Today, I would like to analyze this statement a bit, particularly as it pertains to comics. Why comics? Well, I will tell you why.

Very, very recently I opened up an Etsy shop to sell jewelry and plushies. My reason for doing such is simple: I had already made jewelry a few years back to sell at an Artist Alley, had lots of backstock left, and finally felt it was time to sell the rest off. This is my first time selling online, so I would not claim to be an expert on it, nor am I an expert on Etsy. However, the things I wish to talk about today do not require expert knowledge. Rather, they are just things that, while researching starting an Etsy shop, were not mentioned or were poorly explained.

Welcome to Part 2 everyone~! Yesterday, I discussed why and how webcomic platform Tapastic is alienating users by focusing mostly on its mobile app. In this post, we’re going to take a look at Discord, whose company practices handle different devices in an opposite manner. I will also put together a conclusion about the overall effect this has on users, whether good or bad.

Over this past week while working on administrative tasks for StArt Faire, it became necessary for me to analyze the best use for two different platforms. However, I was overtaken by a feeling of the stark difference between the company practices. Namely, where the companies focus device wise and how that affects me as a user, not only in my enjoyment but in my desire to even use the platform. Thus, my goal today is to write down my thoughts about these stark differences. Please keep in mind that the platforms I’m about to compare are from widely different industries. Nonetheless, they are the best representatives for what I’m about to talk about. Let us continue on this journey as I compare Tapastic and Discord.